Saturday, March 04, 2006

Ok, I know, my sense of humor can be a bit juvenile at times, but I thought this sign was funny. LOL. I have always enjoyed the fine art of the "play on words." So I thought this was a pretty good example of such. Keep in mind, before you think me hopelessly silly, that another thing that made this sign so funny, was that when I first saw it I had just had a minor tiff with Alan, and we were being kinda quiet, but the silence was broke when we both looked up and thought the same thought, at the same time, and we just looked at each other in disbelief and began to laugh. Ahhhhhh. The power of laughter, to soothe the soul. :)

I love the latest Round Robin subject choice. Kimberleigh, author of the journal, "I Shaved My Legs For This," has come up with a winner. :) I have a full file of sometimes humorous, sometimes thought provoking signs I have collected over the years, so I am especially looking forward to this challenge. I say that a lot, don't I? Well, it's just that the Robins have impressed me so much with the subject choices that they have been chosen so far. "Secrets," "Mysterious Doorways," "Cliches," "Wabi-Sabi" just to name a few. I think this might be a lot of fun, after all,who doesn't have a town that contains at least one wacky sign in it? But remember, the sign doesn't necessarily have to be wacky, because Kimberleigh's idea is for us to find a sigh that accurately says something about who we are. "It could be a street sign, a billboard, or even a peace sign. Let's just be creative and have fun with it." Kimberleigh darlin, that sounds good to me! :)

The date for this challenge will be Wednesday, March 15th, As usual you can post anytime between the midnights on that day. You can sign up to play at the official Round Robin Challenges journal. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the *Welcome Entry & Rules Of Play.* That entry contains all the information and updated rules for the Round Robin Challenges, it can be found on the sidebar. It's really simple, and a lot of fun. I hope you will join us. You know you want to. ;)

Every since I was a little girl, I have wanted to dance. I saw my first ballet when I was about age 5 0r 6, and I thought it was all so very beautiful. From the costumes, to the music...it enchanted me. Alas, it was not to be. I am an ok dancer, but I am very short, only 4ft 11, on a good day. LOL. So most of the dances like ballet or the tango would have looked a little silly, if a munchkin like me were dancing them. And I must confess, I was never could get used to standing on my toes. I have this thing about my feet. I have perfectly normal feet, it's just that I am sometimes...well...a little...uncoordinated. Tee Hee. Alan will attest to the fact that he once watched me fall out of one room, and land clear across the hall in another, and bounce back out! So, when you are a walking slapstick skit...it's best not to bring a bad name to such a beautiful talent. But hey, I can "Froug" like no one's business. :) LOL.

Extra Credit: Yes, I can recite the Declaration of Independence while standing on my head. If you call that talent! LOL.

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

-World Health Organization

Well, that was a quick two weeks! Later today (Friday) I will be at my doctor's office having my first ever Mammogram. I am scared to death. Well, no it's not quite that bad, but I do have a deep case of the wiggins. The thing is, if this lump that is currently residing in my left breast does turn out to be cancer, I am lucky because I have health insurance available to me to fight it. Some aren't as lucky I am. Another problem I have with the Bush administration, the lack of affordable health insurance for roughly 45 million Americans. According to the Breast Cancer Site, a woman is diagnosed with Breast Cancer, in America, every 3 minutes, and American males that will be diagnosed with the disease will be about 1% of the population. While Breast Cancer mostly strikes men over the age of 60, it's not unheard of for a younger man to contract the disease. It happens.

I am going to go to the appointment, and I am going to live with the results. It's all about the whatifs that might come into play. Dumb huh? Wasting time and energy on what I might have to face. Well, at the same time, it's honest. I am worried about my future, because I can look back to just a few years ago, when I was little more then a walking shell. Completely empty inside. I recovered from that and now I know what I could lose. I think about all the conversations I have had with Alan in the last couple weeks, and how everything in my life is all in order, no matter what the test results are. Still, I think about the sound of Dan's voice the last time we spoke. How angry he got, when he realized I could have taken an earlier appointment, and didn't. Yes, me much bad girl.

He is a good and supportive friend, who deserves better then for me to not even try to take care of myself. The T'ai Chi and Qi Gong have been great for my well being. I am finding it to be a challenge, but I can already see the benefits. My meditation is coming along nicely, and the Lavender aromatherapy masks I bought at the World Market are helping both my sleep and my meditation. Then there is good old laugh therapy. Yoga starts soon, I love the Yoga mat Alan bought me for Valentine's day. It is a nice shade of medium green and has a silk carrying bag with beautiful dragonflies on it. :) Hey...look at that...I smiled just then. :) But it's not enough. I must be proactive and advocate for myself. Just talking about the things I am doing to ease the pain and frustration I have because of Fibromyalgia, makes me feel better. :) Being proactive, has always made me feel better, because at least I am no longer the wilting victim. :) One of my favorite episodes of, "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," dealt with a "Fear Demon," and how no matter how enormous our fears seem, there is a truth that is bigger. That truth being, that once faced, a fear is revealed to be really quite small in it's actual size, once you face it and understand it.

When the Fear Demon appeared to Buffy, it taunted her with her fear of being abandoned by her friends. "They're all going to abandon you, you know." I suppose that is also in the back of my mind. When I became so psychologically ill a few years ago, I retreated into myself. You already know that I lost all my creativity and my sense of humor. Most of my friends couldn't take what I had become, and most of them left my life, either slowly as to not hurt my feelings, or in a glorious declaration of, We can't stand the pain you are in."

Ok...I let them go. I was so inside myself that I didn't know what to say. I don't really have abandonment issues anymore, but you never really forget what it felt like to have those you love leave you because they love you too much. Shrug. That's the past, and I don't even have a clear diagnosis yet. I have a conversation with my doctor, and whatever results my Mammogram brings to light. I am armed with a lot of information about Breast cancer, I have resources, but I think about Sheryl Crow, and how she is only one year older then I am, and already diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I think about the stunning statistics regarding Breast Cancer in Marin County, which I spend a lot of time in taking photos. I also think about the success stories, and how lucky I am to have health insurance, and husband, and friends who love me...just as I am. It's all balance, just like the advice my friend Shelly gave me when I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. "Carly, it's about finding a balance." Thanks Shelly. :) Fear Demon?What Fear Demon? LOL. Okay everyone, wish me luck! :)

All I wanna do is have some funI got a feeling I'm not the only oneAll I wanna do is have some funI got a feeling I'm not the only oneAll I wanna do is have some funUntil the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Yesterday, while I was sitting in my therapy session with Sarah, there occurred two moderate earthquakes. The first registered 2.8 on the Richter scale, the second one came along less then 10 minutes later and registered 3.4 Both quakes occurred along the Hayward Fault and were centered 4.0 miles east-southeast of Berkeley. That would basically be located beneath the Caldicott tunnel, which connects Alameda County with Contra Costa County, here in the East Bay. My therapy session takes place on the 3rd floor of a lovely old building here in Berkeley, one which had been retrofitted after the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989. That earthquake registered 7.1 It was a scary moment when that quake hit, and despite all the damage it did, and all the tragety and it's aftermath, I am not afraid to live here in California, the beauty of this state, far outweighs the concerns about natural disasters we Californian's live with. Funny thing however, Sarah and I were talking about New Orleans, and the affect Hurricane Katrina had on that city, and the deplorable way the Bush administration had handled the aftermath. Bodies floating in the streets...weeks later. Starving citizens begging for help, and according to a report issued just the other day, the fact that there are still 2,000 people missing, 130 of which are children under the age of 18. Ironic that we were discussing that subject, just as a gentle reminder hit both of us,indicating that we better prepare ourselves here in the Golden State, because as we know now...there will NO help from our own government to look forward to, shouls the worst happen.

Funny how even now, after all this time Bush and company, can still surprise me in their ineptness. This evening, as I am sure as you have already heard, the Associated Press released video proof that not only did Bush lie through his teeth in the days following Hurricane Katrina, he lied BIG, and he allowed Michael Brown to absorb as much blame as possible to try and deflect any soil from his own hands. It's no longer a suspicion...it's a fact. HE LIED. Bush was more then willing to play Russian Roulette with the lives of everyone along the Gulf coast region. Once again, there was Bush, either in full Monty denial or maybe not capable of understanding the big words being articulated to him, reassuring federal, state and local officials that, "We are fully prepared," And the scary thing? He didn't ask one single question during his final briefing one day before Hurricane Katrina hit. He simply showed up for the conference call, while still on his vacation at his Ranch in Crawford Texas, and gave his pat answer for nearly all questions that come his way..."We are fully prepared."

The White House today urged the American public to,"not read too much into the video footage," of Bush being briefed on the situation, I suppose we should continue to be good little sheep and believe everything he says. Not believe our own eyes, because lets face it, we may not be able to trust ourselves to disseminate information correctly. Pay no attention to the fact that four days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Bush declared, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." I am sure what he actually didn't anticipate was a video of him being warned of the dire possibilities...repeatedly.

George Bush and the White House has had ample time to own up to what has happened, but instead we have been given story after story about how it was everyone else's fault but the fault of the most powerful man on the planet. George Bush. How much more can America take from a man who will not own up to the devastating condition America has been left in since his taking office? How many more lies will come forth? And how about the fact that his conveniently not here at the moment to answer these question for himself? This man is hell bent on turning over our ports to the UAE. How frightening is that? He didn't even know that deal had been made, until he watched the reports , along with us, on the evening news.

Our president is THAT out of touch. And what does he have to say in a recent interview with ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas? "What kind of message would it send, if we say it is ok for one country, such as British to have these contracts and not an Arab country? I don't know about you...but I don't care if we send a message that we are favoring one country over another...I want to feel safe...PERIOD! And when asked about the handling of Katrina and it's aftermath, he continued to make weak justifications. "Listen, here is what happened with Katrina. There was no situational awareness, and that means that we weren't getting good, solid information from people who were on the ground, and we need to do better." He looked Elizabeth Vargas in the eyes...and those of us who were watching the interview, and lied, instead of being a man, standing up, and saying...I take responsibility. It lies with me. I was briefed, and did nothing. I didn't ask any questions during the briefings by the experts, that were trying to warn me, that a devastating hurricane was about to make landfall. George Bush used the words, "situational awareness," no less the three times when trying to justify why the Katrina situation was handled so poorly. Ironic isn't it? And when asked in the same interview how he felt Homeland Security chief, Michael Chertoff was doing, he replied, "He is doing a fine job." Sound eerily familiar to anyone?

And again, as I was typing this, yet another small earthquake happened. This latest one registered 2.6 and was centered roughly the same place as the earlier ones. Sigh. It is serving as a, so far, gentle reminder that disaster can and will strike, either by man or by nature. We had better have learned some lessons after Hurricane Katrina, such as we are each responsible for ourselves, should the unthinkable occur. The simple act of putting together an emergency kit, that is well stocked with food and provisions for our pets as well, will not only save our own lives, but it will be helping to save the lives of those who can't provide for themselves. It will make us one less person to be taxing what recent history has taught us will be an already overtaxed government resource system. Tomorrow, Alan and I will be investing in a newer, larger pet carrier for Elvis, and we will be stocking up on some additional special food he needs for his diet, and some comfort toys. He is a responsibility we don't take likely, so of course we will be taking care of him, should disaster happen.

Sigh. Listen, we in California began the year with storms pounding the Napa region of Northern California, which also did damage all the way down to parts of Marin County. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was in Washington earlier this week to ask the White House to declare California's levee system a disaster area, and to ask for additional federal funding to shore up our levee system which is currently over 100 years old, and in need to repair and maintenance. Nothing has been said yet by the White House, and the people who were directly affected by the flooding that took place earlier this year, remain "cautiously optimistic." I am not so optimistic, not until I see that our president is actually going to send the funding will I see the light at the end of the tunnel. So tell me, 6 months after Hurricane Katrina, and a lot of truth later, have you prepared yourself for what might happen in your neck of the woods? Don't break my heart and tell me you have become complacent. Share with me what you have done to take care of yourself.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

"People go to the zoo and they like the lion because it's scary. And the bear because it's intense, but the monkey makes the laugh."

-Lorne Michaels

Sometimes I think I have an entire zoo living inside me. LOL. On some days I am a turtle, moving very slow and hiding in my shell, and some days I could be described as a sun bear, because I love to lie in the sun and just soak it up...just being a bear, so actually there are a lot of animals I could choose to describe my inner animal, but on one particular visit to the San Francisco Zoo, a few years ago, I saw an orangutan make a statement for all to see, that I completely understood, just by making eye contact with him. He was having one of those days!

At the end of a very trying week, Alan surprised me on Saturday morning by packing a picnic lunch for us and whisking me off to the zoo. He knows how much I love spending time with the animals, and getting some fresh air. For a few hours our of that week...no one in the world knew where I was. Ahhhhhh. LOL. My favorite animals at the zoo are the Lemurs, Chimpanzees, and the Ape exhibits. There was a pretty nice bench right in front of this guys enclosure, so I sat down to watch him for a while.

It was early in the afternoon, and the zoo wasn't too crowded, but this orangutan had already had a bad day. Something had happened to upset his feelings, because he seemed a little tired and a little sad. At one point he got completely tired of the gwakers making silly noises and pointing to him to try and get his attention. Well, completely fed up, he grabbed his Rubbermaid garbage can and his warm brown blanket and dragged both of them to the top of his jungle jim, climbed in, put his brown blanket over his head and then peeked out as if to say..."Get Lost!" LOL It was the cutest thing, and oh boy, did I ever admire him for knowing when to say, enough is enough! LOL

I have been trying to figure out one specific animal that best describes my "animal within," ever since Derek came up with this topic, as an idea for this challenge It's hard for me to narrow it down to just one. I love animals, and I think I have at least one for every one of my moods. LOL. I always think of this orangutan whenever I feel overwhelmed by life, and appreciate the lesson I learned from him that day. Now, I never leave home without my blanket. Thanks Derek, this was a lot of fun. :)

Be sure to visit the other Round Robins, to see their interpretations of this challenge. Just click on the link below, and be sure to visit the Round Robin Journal this Thursday to find out the topic of our next challenge. :)

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

"Our happiness depends on the habit of the mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the habit of happiness, and life will become a continual feast."

-Norman Vincent Peale

I was over at my friend Shelly's blog, "The Malt Shop" which is her meme journal, and I found this cute little one called the "Friday Feast." This my first time playing, but y'all know how much I enjoy doing these, so I might do this one again soon. If you want to play along, just click on the link above and go to the journal that originally created this meme. Thanks Shelly, for the information. :)

Friday Feast

AppetizerChoose one: Moving to another state, having triplets, or never being able to eat chocolate again.

Wow! I don't ever see myself living in another state, but I don't see me being the mother of triplets , so, I guess I would give up chocolate. I like chocolate a lot, but there are other sweets I enjoy just as much. There is still so much of California I haven't experienced with my camera, that I don't think I could just give it up...at least not quite yet. :)

SoupName a news story that truly shocked you.

It seems like I am continually shocked at the arrogance and mishandling of everything the Bush administration touches. New Orleans is still hurting so badly that is makes my soul hurt. I guess that was the last big shock I felt, the way New Orleans was handled. :(

SaladWhat was your very first job?

Don't hold this against me. LOL. The very first job, just out of college was as a telemarketer. I wasn't obnoxious however, I could take NO for an answer. LOL.

Main CourseIf you had the chance to read the diary of someone you're really close to, would you? Why or why not?

No, I think everyone has a basic right to privacy. I think that if I really knew the person, then I already know what I need to. We all have secrets...don't we. We all have secret moments of thought and observation that belong to us, until we share willingly. I would never betray a relationship to satisfy a curiosity.

DessertWhat's something you are looking forward to?

I am already looking forward to the free concert on the beach in Santa Cruz, that starts again . We had such a good time last year, I still smile when I think about it. Alan has decided to take 4 Friday nights off this year so we can go and make a day of it at the Boardwalk, lie on the beach and soak up the sun, go to the concerts then end the day by having dinner at Gilda's, on the Santa Cruz Wharf. :)

Monday, February 27, 2006

"Style is the mind skating in circles around itself, as it moves foreword."

-Orson Welles

Your Monday Photos Shoot: Get something that screams the 1980's. Get it in picture form! This can include things you have around the house that are from the 80's, or alternately, is a picture that is so obviously from the 80's itself.

-John Scalzi

"When the workin' day is done,Girls just want to have funOh, girls, just want to have fun." -Cyndi Lauper

For girls, the 1980's were about accessories! Clothes mattered, remember when I shared that I practically owned everything in Maddie Haye's closet? But it was the flashy, clunky jewelry, and designer fragrances that made the whole 80's look come together. I never left the house without my hair and make-up just so very 80's. LOL. So what fragrances does a mermaid wear? Well, it depended on the time of day. For daytime, it was Chloe, for afternoon and early evening it was Oscar De La Renta, and for evening it was Christian Dior's Poison. I still wear these fragrances to this day, Poison is my favorite scent, but I have added other contemporary perfumes to my favorites. It can't give up on one of my favorite decades. I had a lot of fun back then, but I am glad I am where I am today. :) One thing still rings true however...

"When the workin' day is doneGirls just want to have funOh, girls just want to have fun."-Cyndi Lauper

"Though my soul may sit in darkness, it will rise in perfect light. I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

-Sarah Williams

If you have been reading me for a while, you probably know all about my love of lighthouses, and that I am a history buff. Last autumn, I took a short trip down to Jack London Square, in Oakland, to satisfy my interest in both subjects. You see, docked at Jack London Square is not only the presidential yacht The Potomac, but so is the lightship, Relief 605.The Potomac was once dubbed, "The Floating White House," because it is said that President Franklin D. Roosevelt, spent more time on his boat, then he did in the actual White House. Each of these ships possesses a unique and interesting past, but for this entry I am showing you only the lightship. I will save The Potomac for another day. :)

The story of America's lightships began in 1820 and they served our coasts for over 163 years, when the last one was retired in 1983. Between the years, 1820-1983, 116 Lightstations were established along America's three coasts. The first lightship was placed in Chesapeake Bay while the Nantucket station was the last one to be automated. Each of these floating lighthouses have an anchor which weighs 6,500 lbs, and allows the ships to anchor in place through all types of severe weather. Lightstation ships were named either BLUNTS or OVERFALLS. This particular ship was an OVERFALL, and was assigned to a lightstation off the Delaware coast in 1951.In 1960, she was transferred to Cape Mendocino BLUNTS, which was a reef station, along the Northern California coast. It wasn't until 1969 that she became a relief ship, aiding and relieving all of California's remaining lightships. The Relief 605 was decommissioned in 1975 and went through several owners before she was donated to the United States Lighthouse Society, by Mr. Alan Hosking of Woodside, California. The Relief 605 was designated a National Landmark, by the Secretary of the Interior in 1990. She is open to the public for tours, and she is a beautiful. :) If you come to California...you must go and visit her. :)

Sunday, February 26, 2006

"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve it through not dying."

-Woody Allen

A few years ago, when Costco began selling coffins, I thought it was a creepy idea. I mean who wants to purchase one's final resting place from a place where one can also buy a 50lb. bag of kitty litter, a box of 500 count paper plates, a 24 pack of assorted muffins, 16 pounds of dry beans, the complete DVD set of Sex In The City, a 2 gallon container of polyunsaturated vegetable oil, a 6 pack of Stagg chili, a 12 can case of Libby's Vienna sausage, a case of Ritz Bits, a double box of Captain Crunch,1000 Kotex tampons and the special edition version of Tootsie? I mean, how embarrassing would it be to be standing in line with all those items, plus the deluxe model of the "Comfy Cozy Coffin 4000? Especially if you were to encounter someone you knew. "Hi Carly, doing a little light shopping? Oh, my, is everything ok?" Now there you are...trying to explain that your morbid purchase was simple estate planning. LOL. It could be awkward, although after reading the following story, on AOL News earlier this evening, I have to admit, the idea has taken on some appeal for me.

Three people from Brooklyn, New York, were charged this past week with selling body parts , they obtained from funeral homes throughout the New York area. It seems that a number of death certificates had been forged by the defendants, Michael, Mastromarino, Lee Crucetta, Christopher Aldorasi, and Joseph Nicelli. Mastromarino, was the owner of Biomedical Tissue Services, of Fort Lee, N.J. All four men pleaded guilty to charges of enterprise corruption, body stealing, opening graves, unlawful dissection and forgery. Their indictment is only the first of many to come. The scandal involves a large number of funeral homes and hundreds of bodies, including that of Allister Cooke, former host of "Masterpiece Theatre." Prosecutors said that the ring took body parts from people who had not given their consent for donation, and altered death certificates to indicate that the deceased were younger then they actually were. Then they sold the parts through Biomedical Tissue Services, to tissue suppliers that were eventually used in disk replacements, dental implants, and other procedures conducted across the United States and Canada.

The thought of my own here after has never really bothered me, in fact I have a somewhat morbid sense of humor about it...always have. When I was asked once, in an ethics class in high school, what I wanted my headstone to say, I facetiously replied, "Here Lies Carly, LIke She's Never Been Laid Before." LOL. A couple years ago when John Scalzi asked the same question for a Weekend Assignment installment, I came up with, "Here Lies Carly Known For Her Dot, Dot, Dot, But Now She's Just Not, Not, Not!" LOL. I also thought once upon a time, that it might be nifty to be laid to rest in Tupperware, as long as someone remembered to burp me. LOL. There are things we have no real control over, so I just never spent much time fretting about my future after I am done on earth. Except in the spiritual sense.

I have to say however, I don't think I would want something funky like this to happen to me. Funky happenings in the here after should be my decision, like having my head frozen or donating myself to science, so some cute up and coming physician can practice on me. I would feel useful in that, and since I am not that modest, I wouldn't be embarrassed in the slightest. So, now that I am older, and I know of the expense of such things, I have put some serious thought into my future and beyond, and I have written my wishes down. When I go, I want to be cremated and placed in an urn with Elvis, and Alan, assuming they go first. Alan liked that idea as well, so at least we are on the same page. Lucky for us, Costco also sells urns, yea us! LOL. I'll take a case of Fig Newtons, 100 ct bag of Ling-Ling Eggrolls and the Family Size urn on the left. :) One final note, Michael Mastromarino, owner of Biomedical Tissue Services, went into the tissue business after losing his dental license. Morbid much!